"By The Numbers" is a season-long series sponsored by The Kansas Department of Transportation, giving a statistical preview of every Sporting KC match.
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Unbeaten in six games, Western Conference leaders Sporting Kansas City (4-1-2, 14 points) will look to extend their four-point lead at the top of the table when they welcome Vancouver Whitecaps FC (3-3-1, 10 points) to Children's Mercy Park on Friday night. Tickets for the 8 p.m. CT matchup are available via SeatGeek.com, and the first 10,000 fans through the stadium gates will receive a Tim Melia bobblehead courtesy of match sponsor Mark One Electric.
FOX Sports Kansas City Plus and FOX Sports Midwest Plus will air three hours of live coverage on Friday beginning at 7:30 p.m. CT. The game will also be joined in progress on FOX Sports Kansas City after the conclusion of Kansas City Royals baseball. Local radio broadcasts will air on Sports Radio 810 WHB (English) and ESPN Deportes KC 1480 AM (Spanish), while the Sporting KC Uphoria app will provide live updates. We take a statistical look at the fixture in our newest edition of By The Numbers.
Head-to-Head
- Sporting KC is 6-3-3 all-time against Vancouver, including a 4-1-1 mark at Children's Mercy Park.
- Vancouver had lost three straight regular season games in Kansas City before prevailing 1-0 with an Erik Hurtado goal on Sept. 30, 2017, snapping Sporting KC’s club-record 24-game home unbeaten run in the regular season.
- Vancouver swept the 2017 series, winning 2-0 at home on May 20 behind goals in either half from Cristian Techera and Tim Parker.
- Vancouver has won four straight against Sporting KC in all competitions, including a pair of matches in the 2016-17 CONCACAF Champions League group stage.
Vancouver Whitecaps FC
- 2018 MLS record: 3-3-1, 7 points (3rd in West)
- 2018 MLS away record: 2-2-0 (6 GF, 8 GA)
- Last MLS match: L 1-0 vs. Montreal Impact on March 31
- Last five MLS matches: 1-3-1, 4 points (L-T-W-L-L)
- Vancouver leads MLS with 19 regular season road wins since the start of 2015, going 19-28-8 on their travels during that time.
- Vancouver has scored eight goals this season, seven of which have come in the second half.
- Vancouver is one of two teams (Seattle) not to have led at halftime in 2018.
- Vancouver is comfortable defending in numbers, ranking last in MLS in shots per game (8.4) and shots on target per game (3.0) as well as second-to-last in average possession (42.7).
- At age 17, midfielder Alphonso Davies is the youngest player to play in MLS this season. Davies ranks second in MLS in duels won (73), second in crosses from open play (25) and third in dribbles completed (18). He has also recorded one goal and two assists in 2018.
- Former Sporting KC forward Kei Kamara is tied for Vancouver's team leads in goals (three) and assists (two), but will miss Friday's match with a groin injury.
- Winger Brek Shea has scored three goals on five shot attempts this season. Shea has scored two of his three goals from off the bench.
- Since the start 2015, defender Kendall Waston leads MLS in clearances (590) and red cards (five).
Sporting KC
- 2018 MLS record: 4-1-2, 14 points (1st in West)
- 2018 MLS home record: 2-1-1 (6 GF, 6 GA)
- Last MLS match: T 2-2 vs. Seattle Sounders FC on April 15
Last three MLS matches: 3-0-2, 11 points (W-T-W-W-T) - Sporting KC is unbeaten in six straight matches, collecting four wins and two draws since losing their season opener on March 4.
- The last time Sporting KC started 4-1-2 in 2013, the club went on to win the MLS Cup.
- Sporting KC leads the Western Conference with 14 goals scored, coming from seven different players.
- Sporting KC has allowed two or more goals five times this season after doing so just six times in all of 2017.
- Midfielder Felipe Gutierrez, who has missed two straight games through injury, is tied for the MLS lead with five goals.
- Forward Johnny Russell leads MLS with 56 touches in the opponent's box and ranks third with 23 shots.
- Forward Daniel Salloi is tied for sixth in MLS with three assists. Sporting KC is 4-0-1 this season when he starts.
- Defender Graham Zusi leads MLS with five big chances created and ranks fourth with 19 interceptions.
- Defender Matt Besler ranks fourth in MLS with 41 clearances, while fellow center back Ike Opara ranks fifth with 39.
- Midfielder Ilie leads MLS with 409 successful passes and ranks third among field players with 61 recoveries.
Milestones and Miscellany
- Sporting KC defender Matt Besler is one shy of tying current assistant coach Kerry Zavagnin for most regular season starts in club history at 228. Besler is also 55 minutes shy of passing Zavagnin for most regular season minutes in club history, a record that presently stands at 20,515.
- Sporting KC defender Graham Zusi is one shy of his 200th career MLS start (including playoffs).
Team stats (2018 regular season)
MLS rank in parenthesis (source: Opta)
<strong>Category (per game)</strong> |
<strong>Sporting KC</strong> |
<b>Vancouver</b> |
Goals scored |
2.00 (5th) |
1.14 (17th) |
Goals conceded |
1.57 (t-11th) |
1.57 (t-11th) |
Shots |
16.3 (2nd) |
8.4 (23rd) |
Shots on goal |
5.9 (4th) |
3.0 (23rd) |
Shooting accuracy |
54.0 (5th) |
39.6 (21st) |
Passing accuracy |
83.7 (2nd) |
78.3 (12th) |
Possession |
56.3 (5th) |
42.7 (22nd) |
Duels won |
58.3 (11th) |
59.4 (6th) |
Tackles won |
12.0 (17th) |
12.9 (11th) |
Interceptions |
13.7 (18th) |
12.9 (20th) |
Clearances |
17.9 (18th) |
21.9 (9th) |
Fouls committed |
11.0 (12th) |
10.3 (20th) |
Fouls suffered |
8.4 (23rd) |
11.7 (t-6th) |
Shots faced |
12.4 (9th) |
13.4 (13th) |
Recent #SKCvVAN regular season meetings
- Regular season record vs. Vancouver: 6-3-3 (19 GF, 16 GA)
- Regular season home record vs. Vancouver: 4-1-1 (11 GF, 7 GA)
<strong>Date</strong> |
<strong>Result</strong> |
<strong>H/A</strong> |
<strong>Details</strong> |
07/12/2015 |
W 1-0 |
Away |
Kevin Ellis scores winner in 52nd minute |
08/15/2015 |
W 4-3 |
Home |
Sporting KC scores in 81st, 87th and 94th minutes to pull off epic comeback |
03/12/2016 |
W 2-1 |
Home |
Dom Dwyer notches first-half brace before Pedro Morales bags late penalty |
04/27/2016 |
T 1-1 |
Away |
Christian Bolanos scores early opener before Diego Rubio equalizes |
08/20/2016 |
W 2-0 |
Home |
Benny Feilhaber records goal and assist |
05/20/2017 |
L 0-2 |
Away |
Cristian Techera and Tim Parker score in either half |
09/30/2017 |
L 0-1 |
Home |
Erik Hurtado goal snaps SKC's club-record 24-game home unbeaten run in regular season |
